I have postings to post that I wrote in Montana at my parents house where there is no DSL.
My kid and I took the red-eye to from Seattle and were home by 7am.
Rehearsal at Triskelion at noon. It’s odd to come in so late in rehearsal, a walk-thru today. Rehearsal tomorrow and Sunday is tech.
Tag: Montana
murakami
We made it to the Murakami exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. Success! If we hadn’t gone today we would have missed it because it will close while we are in Montana. I wanted to see it because I have clown reasons to relate to the cuteness and corporateness and scariness, the Japaneseness of his art. A year after graduating from The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College (registered trademark) I found myself working as a clown and stiltwalker at Nagasaki Holland Village which can be compared to Main Street USA at Disneyworld, only it’s Dutch and in Japan. I spent most of my time posing for pictures with Japanese schoolgirls who shouted “Kawaii” (“cute!”) and crowded around me holding up their hands in a peace sign and smiling for the camera. At the time my clown wore overalls with a sash with a big bow at the back (“Nice obi.” commented one of the tech guys) and another bow in my orange clown hair. I bore a striking resemblance to Hello Kitty. On one of our days off we visited the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Park. That same week George Bush The First ordered the bombing of Iraq.
smug anxiety
Despite having a good time on the 4th of July I spent a good percentage of the next day filled with anxiety and stress. I should have felt good that I had just had a paying gig, but then I watched re-runs of “I Love Lucy” with my kid and instead of enjoying them I thought about how when I first became a clown the knowledge that she did the “I Love Lucy” shows in her 40’s made me think I still had lots of time in which to make my mark as a clown. I’m not feeling that way so much anymore. (There is also the shrinking amount of time in which to clean and pack and get ready for our trip to Montana which must also include being ready to hit the ground running at Kendall’s rehearsals the day we get back to New York, –clearing and readying our bedroom for the delivery of a new bed, by far the biggest job on my list– and being packed and ready to go to Toronto the morning after the last performance of “Clown Axioms”.) I drank too much coffee until I suddenly had to eat or implode. I quickly prepared a breakfast of vegetarian imitation bacon and fried eggs for the three of us while I listened to an NPR interview with Barbara Kingsolver talking about her book about her year spent eating in season food they had grown themselves. People with the cultural capitol to write books that are published about such things generally begin their stories by describing the beautiful property that they own, this book is no exception. And so a bitterness tinged the fresh berries, greens and apple juice I had purchased for more than twenty dollars at the green market in the park that morning.
In the afternoon we went to see WallE at Cobble Hill Cinemas (second time for My Kid and I, first time for My Husband). We played in the park and ate an old-school Italian dinner at the Red Rose on Smith Street. Wine and pasta in the company of my small family comforted and relaxed me even without the smug joy of preparing the dishes myself using homegrown produce.
Mommy Camp went off with a bang and I am exhausted
Thank goodness today’s scheduled group Mommy Camp was cancelled because I am exhausted and I have to work the Macy’s Fireworks VIP audience tonight.
We decided on the way home from Coney Island yesterday afternoon that we did not need to get up early today and rush to the Painted Pot to decorate knickknacks in yet another fun-filled activity during our Mommy Camp Summer-Kick-Off Week.
On Monday we met at noon to see the 12:30 showing of Wall*E at Cobble Hill Cinema, afterwards we had pizza in a restaurant and spent the rest of the afternoon with water balloons (some of us until after 6pm) at Peirrepont Playground on the Promenade in Brooklyn Heights. On Tuesday we Met at Melody Lanes Bowling Alley at 10am (I ducked out to meet the cleaning lady at my apartment–she never showed–so I made phone calls about clown stuff and paid bills–she is here now with her mother–how embarrassing for me) and returned to meet the group again at Pierrepont Playground where we stayed until after 6pm. Then I brought My Kid and her friend home for a sleepover. We walked to Ft. Green from Brooklyn Heights through Fulton Mall, stopping at Cookies to buy cheap plastic walkie talkies CUZ WE NEEEEEED THEM FOR OUR SLEEPOVER!. At home we made tacos. The girls had fun cutting up tomatoes and lettuce with plastic knives. Then at 9:30 we went outside and walked to Fort Greene Park looking for fireflies. Two were captured. Many never made it into the jar, then one of the two prisoners escaped. The other was granted clemency and freed. The girls desperately needed a bath and so they had one. They were asleep by 11:30. But we had to get up early because I had a 9am appointment in Brooklyn Heights. I was late. The kids played Ninetendo in the waiting room. Then we met up with the others and took the train and a bus to Chelsea Piers to go ice skating. But, none of us had checked in advanced and the rink was closed to the public. So we went, as scheduled to the water playground next to Chelsea Piers and then (as a quick Plan B) to Dave and Busters in Times Square where everyone ate greasy food and the adults drank overpriced tropical drinks and spent too much on games for the kids. Afterwards we returned My Kid’s friend to her apartment where her mom had been home all day with a sick 4-year-old, a baby, and less than 24 hours to pack camping gear and clothes for a family of 5 before a flight to Colorado the next day. My Kid and I again walked home from Brooklyn Heights through Fulton Mall. (Meanwhile Enthusiastic Mom took her son to a baseball game at Yankee Stadium and they got home at midnight) I think we ate Chinese take-out. I think we watched “So You Think You Can Dance” on TV. I was beginning to wonder if the week of fun would ever end. Nope not yet. Next on the schedule–Thursday morning we met on the Q train for a trip to Coney Island; Astroland unlimited ride bracelets, Nathan’s cheese fries. Sand and Sea. And the inevitable melt-down. My Kid was too short to ride the pirate ship but her friend was tall enough. So My Kid got to play some games and win some MORE stuffed animals to add to the clutter in our apartment.
Enthusiastic Mom had e-mailed us a spread-sheet schedule of the week’s planned activities. The kids were all supposed to wear the same colored shirt each day (so they would look like a group just like real day camp kids) which they took seriously. Monday was white, Tuesday was red, Wednesday was blue, Thursday was yellow. We discussed changing plans, but unfortunately our kids are old enough to read and in fact had been studying the schedule. The children would not allow us to deviate much from what had been printed. (Thank goodness they were also exhausted by Thursday night so we could cancel today–which isn’t really a day of nothing since it is the 4th of July and that involves at the very least schlepping out somewhere to stand with a crowd to watch the fireworks and then schlepping home in the dark and possibly rain.) That’s why we still had to go to Astroland at Coney Island even though we had spent the previous afternoon at Dave and Busters in Times Square. They are effectively the same thing from a spending money for nothing point of view.
All in all it was a good week. But, I will be glad to get back to My Kid’s version of Mommy Camp which is much more like homeschooling with reading and writing, math and science, and art (what can I do that’s what My Kid said she wanted…) But, we’ll be going to Montana for two weeks and accompanying My Husband on a business trip to Toronto in August so I don’t know how many days of this brand of low-key educational mommy camp she will actually get.
Feeling Guilty
I’m going over my calendar and feeling very guilty right now. Kendall is working on a new show that I was hoping to be in, but most of the rehearsals will take place during our trip to Montana (for My Kid to spend time and celebrate her birthday with her grandparents and her cousins and also for me to attend the wedding of a childhood friend). When we bought our plane tickets–of course we put it off too long–there was a lot of finagling with dates and times to get to fly free to Seattle with our JetBlue miles. As it is The Husband and I are traveling separately because he has a new job and doesn’t want to be gone more than a week. Feeling a little blue in the wake of my parents departure after My Kid’s First Communion I wanted to extend our stay a little. Also My Kid is not signed up for any day camp here in NYC so I was anxious to schedule some more of her summer days at a “vacation location”. If we had gone two days later and come home on the 20th with The Husband instead of the 24th (which enables My Kid to do some special activities with her cousins) I would only have been available for two more of the scheduled rehearsals. That’s not much help. Why do I feel so guilty? Is it because I’m Catholic? Is it because I’m a woman? Is it because I’m a mother? Is it because I exist?
Googling Randomly
I should be doing a million things (like cleaning–yuck and writing grant proposals–yuck), but instead I am hiding from the heat in our air-conditioned bedroom next to our sleeping daughter googling randomly. It started with an on-line search for Brownie Girl Scout Try-It badges (because I have to get the requests into her leader today.) I thought I could find badges she could get for the work she did in preparation for her First Communion or as a member of her school’s FirstLEGO Robotics team (there must be a badge, we saw Girl Scout First LEGO League teams at the Javits Center in April)
Then I googled Cirque du Solelil’s KOOZA because I was still thinking about this weekend. I had hoped to see the production which was playing in Philadelphia yesterday when we were there and there were matinee tickets available. I knew this because had the concierge check for me. (KOOZA was concieved and directed by David Shiner whose workshop I was taking last fall when the seeds for the piece I did last week were planted) But, My Kid didn’t want to go see the Cirque du Soleil (Her concept of the show was probably damaged by the Simpson’s unflattering “Cirque du Puree”). She was there to swim in the hotel pool and we had already dragged her to one theatrical experience not of her choosing. The Husband wasn’t backing me up, and I wasn’t selling it well. We live on the East Coast, KOOZA will be in the region for months, it was not our only chance to see the production. Other than seeing Bill Irwin’s show we were just there for a relaxing weekend get away. My Kid has been sick, The Husband was tired and the weather was HOT. So even though we could see the trademark tent from the hotel–nobody but me thought it was a great idea to go there. Sigh.
David Shiner worked with Bill Irwin in “Fool Moon” which The Husband and I saw together in Seattle. I googled Bill Irwin because he’s, well, he’s Bill Irwin and I saw his show this weekend. I enjoyed the fact that his home page hasn’t been updated recently enough to include the current production even though it’s nearing the end of its run. Bill Irwin led to the name Bruce Hurlbut, who played the piano for “Scapin” on Broadway and also for the melodrama “The Drunkard” at the University of Montana when I, as a short thin high school student, played the child in the show. His name led to the website of a new theatre in Washington full of our old Annex friends including Andrea Allen and Allison Narver and Jack Bentz who we had hoped could marry us but who wasn’t quite finished with seminary when we looked into it at the time. I think he hooked us up with the priest from Seattle U who did marry us.
Gosh I feel so connected.
Wake up-pack lunch-take the kid to school-come back home pack a case with costumes and props-take train to Times Square-rehearse at the Producers Club-take the train to Lower East Side-eat a bagel-meet the family-my kid goes to Japanese-My husband and I take advantage of the time and go to pub across the street to talk through the week: Tomorrow-I-am -going-to-see-the-matinee-of-Gypsy-we-will-have-dinner-in-Greenwich-Village-with-our-friends-from-India-and-his-former-boss-and-wife-my-Kid-has-a-field-trip-on-Thursday-and-I-may-have-more-studio-time-Friday-the-kid-and-I-will-go-on- the-Girl-Scout-campout-My-husband-will-fly-to-Seattle-Saturday-my-parents-will-arrive-in-New-York-on-Tuesday-but-not-in-time-to-see-my -perfomance-on-Tuesday-maybe-husband-will-return-to-New-York-on-Thursday-The Kid-will-make-her-First-Communion-on-Saturday-(I-still-need-to-make-dinner-reservations)-The-Kid-will-have-a-Japanese-Closing-Ceremony-on-Sunday-On-Monday-my-parents-will-return-to-Montana-and-my-husband-will-start-his-new-job…
After sushi after Japanese we all walk down 14th Street. They take the train home to Brooklyn and I go to Theatre Lab for a Clown Lab.
First Communion Potluck
OK, so it was a catered potluck that we went to tonight. Who caters a potluck Well, I would if I could…
A whole brownstone…
My kid was obsessed with the pogo stick and got up to 14 jumps, a household record apparently.
Someone named Kathy, the godmother of one of my kid’s First Communion classmates, knows a friend of mine from highschool in Montana, also named Kathy… (“Tell her ‘hi’ for me !’ ‘I will!’) Others at the party had spent time in Missoula back in the day…
I played “Who Do You Know” at the party better than my husband who didn’t even try because he didn’t feel like he had to socialize because the event had nothing to do with his job. How come men don’t feel like they have to do this? Lots of my friends have husbands who, given the choice, would rather stay home. Isn’t anybody else curious about seeing the inside of other people’s homes???
At the park in the afternoon the Kid and I ran into neighbors we hadn’t seen in a very long time. It’s true, once the kids go to school, and to different schools we don’t see the people we used to see on an almost daily basis because we took our toddlers and preschoolers to the same playgrounds and chatted about potty training and language aquisition–and husbands, and junk food, and movies and assorted frustrations. The kids are big now. Aside from height, they look now the way they will look until puberty. They have their own schedules, after school activities, lessons, obsessions. At the party tonight the kids segregated themselves into groups of boys and girls. They didn’t used to do that. Sigh.